INQUIRER Sports

PARIS - Rafael Nadal, bidding for an historic fifth successive French Open title, swept into the second round on Monday while women's top seed Dinara Safina engineered a brutal centre court humiliation.

Top seed and world number one Nadal, sporting a bright pink shirt, saw off plucky Brazilian qualifier Marcos Daniel 7-5, 6-4, 6-3 to take his Roland Garros career record to 29 wins in 29 matches.

He will now face either Igor Kunitsyn or Teimuraz Gabashvili, both Russians, for a place in the last 32.

"The first match is always difficult. I was a little nervous because this tournament is very special to me, but I feel good," said Nadal, who arrived in Paris having lost his 33-match claycourt winning streak to Roger Federer in Madrid.

World number two Federer, the runner-up to Nadal in the last three finals, faces Spain's Alberto Martin later on Monday with the Swiss beginning his 11th attempt to win an elusive French Open title and complete a career Grand Slam.